


End of the line.

by chewakaflocka



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, maybe smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-10 09:36:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6977983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chewakaflocka/pseuds/chewakaflocka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set post CW: Bucky keeps slipping back into his Winter Soldier state, Steve and the rest of the team try to ease him back into everyday life while trying to figure out a solution to the problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Memories. 

That was it, memories. 

Memories that burnt into the back of his brain and left an eternal scar. 

"Bucky?" Steve called out softly upon entering the room. 

Bucky. That name, coated his mind like a thick tar and left a disturbing taste in the back of his throat. It brought back memories that had etched into his brain, of a time long ago.

"James Buchanan Barnes." Steve said in a softer voice, low enough to be a whisper. This had become protocol whenever he knew that Bucky had changed, had reversed into his Soldier like state. 

That name, it meant something to him. He heard it, but not in the voice of the built man in front of him, in the voice of an older woman, loud and strict. It echoed in his mind and must've had /some/ meaning. 

Bucky's eyes stared forward, looking, but he wasn't seeing. His mind was elsewhere, chaotic and confused.  
"Bucky, it's me, Steve. Steve Rogers." 

That name, it hit Bucky's brain like a tidal wave, bringing along floods of memories from a happier time. A time where Bucky had been filled with happiness and love.  
He looked up, meeting Steve's eyes gently. Those eyes brought back emotions, ones that filled his heart with joy and he allowed himself to /feel/. 

"Steve..?" Bucky whispered, his body relaxing as the familiar word rolled past his tongue. "Steve..?" He repeated, looking into those stunningly blue eyes. He felt the warmth of what felt like summer when he saw the man smile softly. 

"I'm here, Buck. It's me." Steve said softly, with a small content smile. He looked down at Bucky, looking at his watch. "That was good, you're really getting control of this, Buck." He said with a proud grin. 

This had been happening for months now, Bucky would slip back into his Soldier machine-like state. He would often find asylum in Steve and the memories that he brought.  
"Steve.. I'm so sorry.." He whispered, his hands dropping to his knees and his body relaxing. "That was bad, if you hadn't have arrived when you did.. I don't know where I would be right now.." He whispered, his heart racing as he tried to even out his breaths to calm him down. 

"Don't apologize. Don't blame yourself for this, Bucky. Honestly, it's not your fault at all." Steve reassured him quietly, keeping a calm tone with him. He knew that at these times, Bucky was very sensitive and needed to tread lightly around him as he didn't want to hurt his friend. 

"I don't want this anymore. I want to be free of this constant pain." Bucky whispered, looking up to Steve with helpless eyes. "Please, find a way to stop this. I don't want to be a monster anymore." He whispered quietly, his eyes stinging slightly. 

"It's okay, Bucky. You're not a monster. You’ve been through things people wouldn't imagine in even their worst nightmares." Steve replied carefully. But he knew that he had to somehow find a way to stop Bucky constantly slipping into his Soldier state. As right now, Bucky was a time bomb that could explode and destroy at any time, all he needed was the fuse.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Bucky background after CW, a small reverse in time, and an idea.

Bucky had been grateful for a lot of things, but one thing more than anything, it was the sun.

The sun made him feel a little more alive and a little less like a machine. 

He was often found outside in the morning, sitting in the garden, allowing the rising sun to pool over his skin. The warmth, that was what he enjoyed. The warm feeling of the sun over his cool skin, it made him feel. 

He would wake before dawn, eat his breakfast quietly, careful not to wake the other member of the household up. He would watch the scenery, the birds, the squirrels that ran through the garden. Even the butterflies, how they would flutter from flower to flower then leave. 

This morning, however, was different. Bucky woke to find the clouds covering the sky, he was unable to see the sun. He had to find another way to busy his mind and keep him in reality, he didn't want to slip back into his Soldier state. 

He walked to the dim living room, leaning down to reach a large, thick book from the second shelf. He lifted it into his lap after sitting down, opening it and looking over the photos that were stuck in there. 

On the first page, there was a photo of Bucky and Steve, Steve was considerably smaller and skinnier, but his eyes were still as hopeful as they were today. Bucky had his arm around his best friend, his hat tilting slightly down over his eyes. 

\--"Here, could you take a photo of us, please? Thanks." Bucky said softly, passing his camera to the pedestrian that he had asked for a favour. He stood quickly next to Steve, who nodded politely to the woman. Steve looked up at Bucky, admiration and hope spreading across his face. Bucky pulled Steve close, his arm wrapping around his shoulder before moving his head to the side and whispering, "The camera is in front of you, bud. It's not facing me." He smirked and nudged him gently. Steve let out a soft laugh before facing the camera with a wide smile.-- 

Bucky let his fingers glide over the photo, his fingers almost touching all of the sentiment and meaning that the one particular photo had to him.   
It was a few hours before Steve woke and entered the living room, surprised to see Bucky inside. "Morning." He said quietly, giving him a soft smile before making himself a coffee. He walked back into the living room while the kettle boiled, leaning against the door frame. "I remember that old thing, I used to spend hours filling it in when I was younger. It used to have leaves in it, real kids stuff." He chuckled softly and moved to walk behind Bucky, looking at the contents of the book. "I remember all of these being taken, isn’t that funny..?" 

Bucky wasn't listening, he was too encapsulated by the photo's of the pair and of the familiar home town. He allowed himself to break away for a moment, looking up at Steve and giving him a soft, even if awkward smile. 

Steve returned the smile, looking at the kitchen when he heard the whistle of the kettle. "We have plans today, I want you to meet the team." He said softly with a faint smile. He walked into the kitchen, returning when he had finished making his coffee. "You've met most of them, but fighting them didn't make the best impression. We're actually going to be civilized this time." 

Bucky didn't know what to say, he was nervous, he knew how the others viewed him. The tension between him and Tony was extremely strong. He looked at Steve for a moment before speaking, "Do you really think that's a good idea? After what happened.. I hardly think that Tony wants to see me. Or anyone for that matter." 

Steve thought for a moment before sighing softly. "This will be the only way we can fix this, so it'll have to work. I will make sure no one gets hurt. We need to talk this through and get you adjusted into proper life. That means human interaction with people other than me." 

So, it was settled. It was time to meet the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all enjoying this. Come and hit me up on my tumblr if you want to discuss/ask me anything!   
> My tumblr is: chewbaccaflocka.


	3. Chapter 3

It had taken what felt like most of the day for Steve to get Bucky out of bed and ready for the day like a petulant child. Bucky was, in all honesty, trying to put off the meeting for at least another week, but Steve wasn't having it. 

"You're acting like a child, Buck. Come on, they're my friends." Steve sighed and waited outside of the bathroom door, waiting for Bucky to get out of the shower. "You've been in there for almost an hour, come on." He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling before raising an eyebrow when he heard the water stop.

Bucky stepped out of the shower and looked into the mirror, wrapping a towel around his waist and grabbing another towel to quickly dry off his long hair. He quickly ran a brush through his hair and drying it. He opened the door and blinked at Steve mindlessly before walking to the bedroom.

Steve swallowed thickly when Bucky opened the door, blushing quickly. It had been years since he had seen Bucky like this, half naked. A lot had changed, he had gotten more toned, yet his body was covered in scars, his skin a lot lighter in several places. It was hard not to blush at his form, he was absolutely stunning. It was hardly a secret when they were younger that Steve was crushing on his best friend. Bucky had always been there for Steve, from his first day at school to his first heartbreak and Steve had never been more grateful for anyone in his entire life. 

Bucky looked at Steve for a few moments before walking to his bedroom and starting to get dressed. He stared at his torso in the mirror, eyeing up his scar on his shoulder where his metal arm had been installed. He sighed softly and ran his hand over the red bumps, remembering the pain, the God awful pain. And with that pain brought the anger that bubbled deep inside him, thinking of all the pain he had caused without having a conscious, without feeling bad about it, he still didn't feel bad about it. 

Bucky got dressed quickly after losing his train of thought, looking into the mirror once more, somewhat disgusted with himself. He shook his head and walked to the door, opening it quickly and blinking at Steve. "I'm ready." He said softly and stared at his feet.

Steve nodded and grabbed his keys, opening the front door and walking down the steps, waiting for Bucky to follow close behind him. "Alright, get on the back of the bike." He said softly before getting on himself and starting his journey.

It took almost half an hour to get to the Avengers Mansion, and Bucky suddenly felt his heart speed up in his chest. "Steve.. Maybe this isn't the best idea, most people in there want me dead for the trouble I caused." Bucky said quietly and looked down at the floor, kicking the dirt at his feet.

"You're acting ridiculous, Buck." Steve said softly and looked at the other male. "Everyone has calmed down, you can do this." Steve murmured and looked at the door. 

Bucky was reluctant, he'd rather be anywhere but here, he'd rather be back in the 40's, Hell, that was his dream, to go back to then where things were so much more simple. When things were easy and Bucky had everything, he had people that loved him and cared about him, not many people hated him. Unlike now.

Walking into the mansion was awkward, to say the least. Bucky was met by Vision, who instantly made a defensive stance towards the other. Steve was quick to correct the being, assuring him that Bucky was here to make peace. 

Tony, T'Challa, Natasha, Wanda, Sam, Rhodey were all sat in the living area of the Mansion, having a conversation concerning their strengths. Bucky almost hid behind Steve as they walked in. 

"Hey guys. I'm here with Buck, he wanted to just.. Clear things up." Steve said quietly and moved to the side, exposing Bucky. 

Bucky stood there awkwardly before standing straight, taking a quick breath and looking over the concerned faces of those who were sat in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update, I've been super busy with exams, but its summer now.  
> Hit me up on my tumblr: Chewbaccaflocka


End file.
